The flies are undone

Biotechnologists believe, apparently, that they have discovered (again) that sexuality is genetic after all. As reported in The Independent, they changed but a single gene in female fruit flies and they suddenly became all butch, engaging in “complex male mating rituals, vibrating their wings, licking other female flies’ genitalia and curling their backs ready for copulation”. No doubt a similiar gene change in a male fruit fly would cause it to start mincing around, listening to Kylie and using hair straighteners.

It may be that, if sexuality is actually proved to be genetic (which it never will be) certain groups might reassess their position towards homosexuality (it is technically difficult to maintain that homosexuality is unnatural when it is proved to be natural). But I doubt it. There are already arguments saying that even if homosexuality is genetic, “it’s just God’s way of telling you to be celibate” (cf. the “lung cancer is just God’s way of punishing smokers” argument).

But to my mind there is a far more dubious moral area to be tackled here. What about the poor lesbian fruit flies? God didn’t make them gay – biotechnologists did. Was this the biotechnologists’ way of telling them to be celibate? And will the fruit flies now be punished (either by God or by biotechnologists) for licking other female flies’ genitalia?

Were the fruit flies even given a LesBiGay rep to support them in this situation?